History of our Workshop
The beginnings in the trade
The beginnings in the trade
Pedro Maldonado was born in Loja (Granada) in 1929 on Las Parras Street. His father took him on as a carpenter's assistant in the workshop he ran, seeing the child's interest in wood.
From a young age, Pedro Maldonado took an interest in building stringed instruments such as the guitar, the lute, and the bandurria, as he longed to make with his own hands those instruments that he enjoyed playing so much.
Seeing Pedro's interest in developing this art, his father moved them several times to the city of Granada, the cradle of guitar making in Andalusia. There he met Manuel de la Chica, Eduardo Ferrer, and Antonio Robles, who helped him expand his knowledge in his early years and with whom he formed a close friendship.
As an adult with extensive knowledge of the trade, Pedro Maldonado began to participate as a guitarist in radio stations such as "Radio Loja" and in flamenco festivals to accompany the flamenco singers of the time.
Maturity in Granada
In 1959 Pedro Maldonado opened his first luthier workshop at Calle Caus nº16 (Loja, Granada), starting to build his first guitars for the flamenco artists of the area.
His guitars, of excellent construction and optimal quality, caught the attention of the "Casa Damas" in Seville, one of the most traditional commercial establishments in the city, where they placed several orders for guitars made of rosewood and cypress.
As a result of his marriage to Francisca Ruiz, Pedro Maldonado had two sons, Pedro and Luis, whom he began to instruct from a very young age in his trade as a luthier.
Consolidation in Malaga
Over the years, the name of Pedro Maldonado gradually became known in the world of flamenco, flamenco-jazz and classical music both within and outside the region, and commissions increased until Pedro decided to move with his family to Malaga, to settle down and expand his clientele internationally from there.
He set up his workshop in the Sixto neighborhood of Malaga, where he continues to achieve success with his instruments. For example, guitarist Rafael de Antequera commented, surprised by the sound and finish of his instruments, declaring: "If the facade is beautiful, the interior is even better. I'll take it."
After three years, he moved his workshop to number 59 on Avenida de Velázquez (his current location), where orders multiplied, and he worked 14 hours a day to be able to supply all the orders now coming from all countries: the United States, Japan, Germany, Great Britain, Argentina, Australia, etc...
Thus, he began receiving numerous orders from important music houses such as: "Casa Luthier" and "Sors" in Barcelona; "Hill" and "Azzato" in Brussels; "Ivor Mairants Musicentre" and "Juan Teijeiro Music" in London; "Zavaleta Casa de las Guitarras" in the United States; "Rokkoman Music" in Japan, etc...
Among their clients are classical guitarists of the caliber of Los Romeros, Eliot Fisk, Ramón Stagnaro, Jan Wolf, Cecilia Peigel, Angelo Gilardino, Francisco Doblas, Arturo F. Jasso... and flamenco guitarists such as Vicente Amigo, Manuel Cano, El Merengue de Córdoba, Paco de Antequera, Parrilla de Jerez, Moraito, Morenito de Hellín, David Leiva... To learn more, visit the expanded client list and photo gallery.
A family tradition, a historical legacy
Pedro and Luis, sons of Pedro Maldonado, followed the established family tradition of luthiers, following their father's school, both dedicating their lives to the construction of handcrafted guitars during the following decades.
Sadly, Pedro Maldonado passed away at the age of 90 in 2020, leaving a historical legacy in guitar making, and being an emblematic figure of Malaga with worldwide recognition.
Meanwhile, Pedro Maldonado Jr. opened a second guitar workshop in Torremolinos in 1982, at Avenida Isabel Manoja nº4.
After many years of excellent sales, alongside the family workshop on Avenida Velázquez, Pedro Maldonado Jr. sadly passed away. The Avenida Velázquez location was then the nerve center of the family business, and it is now managed by Luis Maldonado.
Luis Maldonado's Workshop
Currently, the Pedro Maldonado guitar workshop is located at Avenida Velázquez nº59 (Málaga), run by Luis Maldonado, who, in addition to selling musical instruments and accessories in the establishment, continues to build handcrafted guitars using the same pattern as his father.
The construction process remains traditional, using the best quality woods (which are subjected to natural drying for several years), creating each element from scratch, such as the rosettes (which consist of thousands of pieces skillfully joined together), performing a hand assembly with the utmost delicacy and care, carrying out a classic varnishing (with the French polishing system with shellac or with a spray varnish), and all the phases inherited from their family tradition.
This construction process, which lasts approximately four to six months, guarantees maximum reliability against weather changes, high safety for export to different parts of the world, and the projection of excellent sound of the highest quality.
